At least six workers were killed and several others injured Friday in an open pit mine in Orissa’s Jajpur district when a mound of earth collapsed on them.

“A group of workers had gone to a quarry to extract laterite in a mining area located under Sukinda police station. A heap of earth suddenly collapsed on them,” police SP of the district told.

Six bodies have been recovered from the debris as the fire brigade launched a rescue operation with the help of local residents

A police team rushed to the site and rescue operations were underway, informed the SP.